Each year statistical computing technology presents new features that make appropriate choices of software or analytical techniques more difficult or confusing. If your curriculum or research objectives requires data analysis, this article introduces you to the statistical computing resources currently available to campus faculty, students, and staff at the University of Oregon.
Statistical computing software is generally designed to run on personal computers (PCs) for both desktop and laptop models. That aspect is the up-front fact of the current trends in statistical computing. For most applications, statistical programs for the PC are as powerful and fast as the same software installed on larger systems. They are also relatively easy to learn and much more efficient to utilize. In most situations their speed, disk size, and portability are among the advantages that will give you the computing edge for many data analysis problems.
If you have a MAC you'll choices of statistical software are very limited and the few programs available are not able to apply many of the more advanced or recently developed statistical techniques.
Last Updated 02/02/2007